07/05/2026
What's Good PNG?
Isolation To Connection: Starlink Reaches Remote Dorobisoro
By Marjorie Finkeo | PNG Tribal Foundation |
DOROBISORO, 7 May 2026 - Hidden deep beneath the mist-covered mountains below Mount Obree (Ghost Mountain) along the rugged Owen Stanley Range, the remote community of Dorobisoro today witnessed a moment that will forever change its history.
For generations, the people of Dorobisoro endured isolation that most Papua New Guineans could scarcely imagine.
To simply send a message to Port Moresby, villagers often climbed the steep slopes of Mount Sirabe — a gruelling three-hour journey over dangerous terrain — hoping to catch a weak mobile signal from Digicel or Bemobile.
That struggle ended today.
Trapped beneath the cloud-covered mountains near the site where the famous wartime aircraft “Flying Dutchman” crashed during World War II in 1942, the remote community witnessed a moment many never thought possible.
At around lunchtime, Australian writer and adventurer Peter Gamgee successfully installed a Starlink dish in the village as part of the Ghost Mountain Expedition Project, working alongside Adam Manders, PNG Tribal Foundation, and in partnership with Central Governor Rufina Peter.
The installation brought internet access to Dorobisoro for the very first time.
The emotional impact was immediate. Children, youths, mothers, fathers, and elders gathered around with mobile phones in their hands, smiling, laughing, and staring in amazement as messages began flowing instantly across the world.
Young people quickly opened WhatsApp video calls to relatives in Port Moresby and other provinces. Others checked rugby league updates, browsed Facebook, and watched online videos — experiences many in the village had never imagined possible.
One mother of three immediately called her husband in Port Moresby, relieved to hear his voice without someone needing to walk for hours through mountains first.
For the people of Dorobisoro, today was not simply about technology. It was about reconnecting with family. It was about hope. It was about dignity.
And it was a reminder that even the most isolated communities in Papua New Guinea deserve access to communication, education, information, and the wider world.
Ironically, Dorobisoro is only a 20-minute flight from Port Moresby, yet remains a five-day walk from the capital through some of the country’s most unforgiving terrain.
For decades, these mountains symbolised isolation. Today, they became a gateway to the world.
